Béarn and the Pyrenees | Page 2

Figure.
CHAPTER III.
Tomb of B��rang��re--Wives of Coeur de Lion--Tombs--Abbey Churches--Chateau of Le Mans--De Craon--The Spectre of Le Mans--The Vend��eans--Madame de la Roche-Jaquelin--A Woman's Perils--Disasters of the Vend��eans--Henri--Chouans.
CHAPTER IV.
The Museum of Le Mans--Venus--Mummy--Geoffrey-le-Bel--His Costume--Matilda--Scarron--H��lie de la Fl��che--Rufus--The White Knight.
CHAPTER V.
Lude--Saumur Revisited--The Garden--La Petite Voisine--The Retired Militaire--Les Pierres Couvertes--Les Petites Pierres--Loudun--Urbain Grandier--Richelieu--The Nuns--The Victim--The Fly--The Malle Poste--The Dislodged Serpents.
CHAPTER VI.
Poitiers--Battles--The Armies--King John of France--The Young Warrior--H?tel des Vreux--Amphitheatre--Blossac--The Great Stone--The Scholars--Museum--The Demon's Stone--Grande Gueule.
CHAPTER VII.
Notre Dame--The Keys--The Miracle--Procession--St. Radegonde--Tomb of the Saint--Foot-print--Little Loubette--The Count Outwitted--The Cordelier--Late Justice--The Templars.
CHAPTER VIII.
Chateau de la F��e--King Ren��--The Miniatures--The Post-Office Functionary--Originality--The English Bank-note--St. Porchaire--The Dead Child--Montierneuf--Guillaume Guy Geoffroy--Thomas �� Becket--Choir of Angels--Relics--The Armed Hermit--A Saint--The Repudiated Queen--Elionore--The Bold Priest--Lay.
CHAPTER IX.
Melusine--Lusignan--Trou de la F��e--The Legend--Male Curiosity--The Discovery--The Fairy's Shrieks--The Chronicler--Geoffrey of the Great Tooth--Jaques Coeur--Royal Gratitude--Enemies--Jean du Village--Wedding--The Bride--The Tragedy of Mauprier--The Garden--The Shepherdess--The Walnut-Gatherers--La Gatine--St. Maixant--Niort--Madame de Maintenon--Enormous Caps--Chamois Leather--Duguesclin--The Dame de Plainmartin--The Sea.
CHAPTER X.
La Rochelle--Les Trois Chandeliers--Oysters--Bathing Establishment--Gaiety--Military Discipline--Curious Arcades--Story of Auffr��dy.
CHAPTER XI.
Towers--Religion--Maria Belandelle--Storm--Protestant Retreat--Solemn Dinners--"Half-and-half"--Go to sleep!--The Brewery--Gas Establishment--Chateau of La Font--The Mystery explained--Triumph of Scenery over Appetite--Slave Trade--Charles le Bien Servi--Liberality of Louis-Philippe--Guiton--House of Le Maire Guiton--The Fleets--The Fight--The Mayor and the Governor.
CHAPTER XII.
Rochefort--The Curious Bonne--Americanisms--Convicts--The Charente--"Tulipes"--Taillebourg--Henry the Third--St. Louis--False Security--Romegoux--Puytaill��
CHAPTER XIII.
Saintes--Roman Arch of Triumph--Gothic Bridge--The Cours--Ruined City--Cathedral--Coligny--Ruined Palace--St. Eutrope--Amphitheatre--Legend of Ste. Eustelle--The Prince of Babylon--F��te--The C?teau--Ste. Marie
CHAPTER XIV.
Fr��re Chr��tien--Utility of Custom-house Search--Bold Voyager--Pauillac--Blaye--The Gironde--Talbot--Vines--The Landes--Phantom of King Arthur--The Witch-finder--The Landes--Wreckers
CHAPTER XV.
Ports--Divona--Bordeaux--Quinconces--All��es--First Impression--Chartrons--Bahutier--Bacalan--Quays--White Guide--Ste. Croix--St. Michel--St. Andr��--Pretty Figure--Pretty Women--Palais Gallien--Black Prince's Son, Edward.
CHAPTER XVI.
The Garonne--The Lord of Langoyran--Miracle of the Mule--Castle of the Four Sons of Aymon--The Aged Lover--Gavaches--The Franchimans--Count Raymond--Flying Bridges--The Miller of Barbaste--The Troubadour Count--The Count de la Marche--The Rochellaises--Eug��nie and her Song.
CHAPTER XVII.
Agen--La Belle Esther--St. Caprais--The Little Cherubs--Zo�� at the Fountain--The Hill--Le Gravier--Jasmin, the Poet-Barber--The Metaphor--Las Papillotas--Fran?onnette--Jasmin's Lines on the Old Language--The Shepherd and the Gascon Poet--Return to Agen--Jasmin and the King of France--Jasmin and the Queen of England.

B��ARN AND THE PYRENEES. VOL. I.
CHAPTER I.
HONFLEUR--DEJAZET--THE SAILOR PRINCE--LE MARI--LISIEUX--LA CROIX BLANCHE--ARRIVAL AT FALAISE--GUIBRAY--CASTLE OF FALAISE--THE LITTLE RECESS--ARLETTE--THE FATHER--THE INFANT HERO--THE UNCLE--ARLETTE'S TEARS--HER RECEPTION.
WITHIN ten leagues of the interesting town of Caen, where William of Normandy and his queen lie buried, the traveller, who devotes a short space of time to a search after the picturesque, may, without straying too far a-field, find what he desires in the clean, bright, gay town of Falaise, where the hero of the Conquest was born.
From Southampton to Havre it requires only twelve hours to cross, and, as was the case with myself and my companions, when, at the end of August 1842, we began a journey, whose end was "to be" the mountains which divide France from Spain, if the city of parrots is already familiar to the tourist, he has only to take the steam-packet, which in four hours will land him at Caen, or enter the boat which crosses the fine bold river to Honfleur. In an hour you arrive at Honfleur, after a very pleasant voyage, which the inhabitants of Havre are extremely fond of taking: a diligence starts from the quay, and proceeds through an avenue of a league's length between beautiful hills, orchards, and corn-fields, to the strange old town of Lisieux, to which we proceeded.
One of our fellow-travellers in the diligence was a smart, lively looking young woman, whose resemblance to the celebrated actress Dejazet, whom we had very lately seen in London, was so striking as to be quite remarkable. Her tone of voice, her air and manner, as well as her features, reminded us strongly of the artiste whose warm reception in England, where we are supposed to be correct even to fastidiousness, has not a little amused the Parisians at our expense. Whatever may be the objections to Dejazet's style, certain it is that her imitation of the manners of the class of grisettes and peasants is inimitable; not a shade, not a tone, is forgotten, and the truth of her representations is proved at every step you take in France, either in the provinces or in Paris.
Our little talkative companion had much to relate of herself and her husband, whom she described as a piece of perfection; he had just returned from a whaling expedition, after several years' absence, and they were now on their way to Lisieux to visit her relations, and give him a little shooting. He had brought back, according to her account, a mine of wealth; and, as she had incurred no debts during his absence, but had supported herself by opening a little caf��, which she assured us had succeeded admirably, they were proceeding, with well-filled purses, to see their only child who was in the keeping of its grandmother. She told wondrous histories of his exploits amongst the ice, of his encounters with the natives--"les Indiens," of the success of all his voyages, and the virtues of his captain, who was